USA > Nebraska > Douglas County > Omaha > History of Omaha from the pioneer days to the present time > Part 5
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Having laid out the town site of Omaha, the ferry company's next move was to give it the other important features of a town, namely. people and buidings. They induced Benjamin Winchester of Kanesville or Council Bluffs, to start a brickyard-which was the first on this side of the river-for the purpose of supplying the brick for the already contemplated building of the state house, for the ferry company felt pretty confident, even then, of having their embryo city designated by the first territorial legislature as the capital of Nebraska, and they did not go amiss, as after events proved.
Winchester, being overcome by misfortunes, was not able to carry on his contract, and soon sold his yard to the ferry company, who were afterwards obliged to obtain the necessary brick for the state house from Kanesville.
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It was on the morning of the 11th of July, 1854, that Mr. and Mrs. Newell came over from Kanesville. Mr. Newell had been engaged to work in the brickyard, and his wife to cook for the laborers. William P. Snowden and wife followed them over in the afternoon of the same day. Both parties crossed the Missouri river on William D. Brown's flat-boat ferry, a fact that both Mr. and Mrs. Snowden distinctly remember, as the steam ferry boat had not then begun running.
Mr. and Mrs. Newell remained only three weeks, which left to Mr. and Mrs. Snowden the honor of being the first actual settlers in Omaha, a fact that no one can deny. They had come to stay, and stay they did, even unto this day, being both honored and respected citizens and the parents of a large family of children.
Let it be borne in mind by the reader, that previous to the arrival of the above-mentioned persons, there had been no one living here at all, although there were many who had claims staked out.
Cam. Reeves and family came next, then P. G. Peter- son, and then others followed rapidly. Many of our old settlers, however, did not locate permanently in Omaha till late in the fall of 1855, and many did not come till 1856 and 1857. Although they had been on the ground before, more or less frequently, they had lived at Kanesville in the meantime. Some, who are nevertheless considered old settlers. did not come till after the above dates.
The ferry company built the first house in Omaha, Tom Allen doing the work. It was a rude log structure, and was occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Snowden, who kept it as a sort of hotel or boarding house during the summer and fall of 1834. more especially for the employes of the com- pany. It was located on Twelfth and Jackson streets. and ' was called by the high-sounding name of the St. Nicholas, but was better known as the "Claim house." Besides be- ing the first house, this was the first hotel in Omaha.
The first religious services in Omaha were held at the St. Nicholas hotel, the residence of Mr. Snowden, at whose solicitation the Rev. Mr. Cooper came over from Council Bluffs to preach. He was a Methodist preacher, and hence that church can justly claim the honor of being the first religious organization represented on the ground. The first
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services were held Sunday, August 13th, 1854. There was a small but appreciative congregation. there being not over twenty-five persons in attendance. and they mostly resided at Council Bluffs, intending. however, to remove to Omaha in a short time. Among those present were Mr. and Mrs. Snowden, A. D. Jones. who led the singing, Mr. Leonard and wife, and "Aleck" Davis and daughter, the latter two gentlemen being brothers-in-law of Samuel Bayliss, of Council Bluffs.
Rev. Mr. Cooper labored in the vineyard of the Lord on Sundays, and on week days he worked in Mr. Jones' stone quarry, which was afterwards owned for many years by John Green. The stone from this quarry was used in the foundation of the Western Exchange building, which was for so many years occupied by Caldwell. Hamilton & Co.'s bank, known now as the United States National.
Mr. Davis. in company with Mr. Bayliss, built and owned the first saw-mill. It was located in the vicinity of where the old John Green flour-mill now stands, on Ninth street, and which for years has been unoccupied. Mr. Thomas Davis, the father of Fred. Davis of this city, afterwards became the owner of this mill.
The second house in Omaha was built by Mr. M. C. Gay- lord, at Burt and Twenty-second streets. The third was the "Big 6," a sod-house or " dug-out," which was occupied as a grocery and saloon by Lewis and Clancy, north side of Chicago. between Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets. The "Big 6" was a very popular resort in those days.
The fourth house was a log dwelling erected by Mr. Snowden, on the west side of Tenth street, just south of Turner hall. The lot was given to Mr. Snowden by the ferry company on condition that he would build on it. It was the first private dwelling house that was completed, and Mr. and Mrs. Snowden moved into it after having kept the St. Nicholas for three months. The pioneers had a grand house-warming there, tripping the light fantastic toe with more grace and agility than they can now. Quilts and aprons answered the purposes of doors and windows, and for seats they had rough boards. It was a very primitive affair. Quite a goodly number of persons assembled to join in the festive dance.
Among those in attendance besides Mr. and Mrs. Snow-
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den, were A. D. Jones, Ed. Burdell, who afterwards built the "City hotel," at the southwest corner of Eleventh and Harney streets, Alex. Davis and daughters, and Mr. Leonard and wife. Mr. Leonard, who was an amateur fiddler, furn- ished the music for the occasion and did the "calling off." The ball opened with the "French Four," a popular figure in those days. It was led by Mr. Snowden and Mr. Jones, and all went merry as a marriage bell, there being no sleep till morn.
Mr. and Mrs. Snowden lived in this house for two years, and the building was standing up to 1870. The ferry com- pany had offered a lot to the first lady who settled in their new town. Mrs. Snowden in due time secured the prize, and afterwards disposed of it.
The next house was built by P. G. Peterson, on the west side of Tenth street, between Farnam and Harney. Mr. Poppleton, by the way, opened the first law office in this frame building. Its site is now covered by Mr. Poppleton's three-story brick block.
The sixth house was erected by Samuel E. and William Rogers, south side of Douglas, between Tenth and Eleventh streets.
In the latter part of 1854. Mr. A. D. Jones built himself a residence on his "Park Wild" claim. About the same time Cam Reeves erected a dwelling farther south. Mr. Reeves furnished the stone from Mr. Jones' quarry for the foundation of the old state house, capitol, and other prom- inent buildings.
The old state house on Ninth street, between Farnam and Douglas, was the first brick structure. Very few of the old landmarks now remain.
The first white child born in Omaha was Miss Margaret Ferry, who came into the world in the month of October, 1854. She was the daughter of James Ferry, who laid the first stone for the foundation of the old state house.
It is claimed by some, however, that the honor of being the first white child born in Omaha belongs to William Nebraska Reeves. He was born in that portion of the city known as Park Wild-Herman Kountze's place-and which spot is still indicated by Park Wild avenue. Reeves grew to manhood, and is, we believe, still a resident of this county.
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Mr. Harrison Johnson, in his history of Nebraska, maintains that the honor of being the first white child born in the city, belongs to a son of Mr. M. C. Gaylord. The child died shortly after its birth.
The first marriage was that of John Logan to Miss Caroline Mosier. November 11. 1855, by Rev. Isaac F. Col- lins. Mr. and Mrs. Logan still reside in Omaha. Mr. Logan was one of the first grocerymen of the city.
The first grave in Omaha was dug by William P. Snowden, where Turner hall now stands, for the remains of an old Otoe squaw, who had been abandoned to die by the roadside. How appropriate are the words of Whittier:
"Behind the scared squaw's birch canoe The steamer smokes and raves ; And city lots are staked for sale Above old Indian graves."
The first burial among the whites was that of Mr. M. C. Gaylord's child, at a spot on Capitol hill, some little dis- tance north west of where the high school building now stands. The remains were taken up a few years ago and reburied.
Dr. George L Miller was the first physician. He came here in the fall of 1854. from Syracuse, N. Y., accompanied by his father, Colonel Lorin Miller. Dr. Miller's first patient was an Omaha Indian pappoose, and it is said that the child died.
The doctor, upon being summoned to attend the case, answered the call with alacrity, being guided to the camp on the bottoms by the redskin who had been sent for that purpose. The doctor gives his reminiscence of the affair as follows: "Exactly how the aforesaid brave jumped from the path and disappeared in the grass without a word of explanation. not even so much as a grunt: how moments seemed hours that we stood, speechless and motionless. each particular hair' sadly agitated at the roots, waiting for his return or for death, or for whatever else might come: how he did return, and with the wave of the hand beckoned us to follow on among the wigwams, and how we followed ac- cordingly, not daring to run, until we reached the right one; how Mr. Indian shot through the triangular door, like the arrow from the bow-and how diligently the medicine man struggled to get through the little opening. by main
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strength and awkwardness, and finally did it: precisely how powerful was the sense of relief from ugly creep- ing sensations around the head and throat, when a unani- mous grunt from two squaws and the three Indians gave him a welcome, with smiles, to a cushion on the ground, as a seat of state; how the inevitable pipe and kinnikinick was passed from the mouths of the aforesaid Indians (who had just dined on dog-soup, to our own; and how sweet was the taste of friendship through its fumes, we cannot stop to particularize. It was the case of a young physician, just out of city life, practicing among the Indians for the first time."
A. J. Poppleton and O. D. Richardson were the first practicing lawyers, and they both took an active part in mak- ing the first laws of the territory, as they were members of the first legislature, in which they did good work for Omaha. Governor Richardson arrived here in October, 1854, and was soon followed by Mr. Poppleton, both coming from about the same vicinity in Michigan. They roomed together during the first winter in Omaha, and therefore have been called the first law firm. A. D. Jones, who was a little of every- thing in those days, was also a lawyer, and was here before either of the above gentlemen, but he was a lawyer more in name than in practice.
The first steam ferry boat put in operation here by the ferry company was the "General Marion," which they had purchased at Alton, Illinois, and which superseded Brown's flat-boat ferry. It was not until late in the fall of 1854 that it began running. It was "of ample power and dimensions to clear the track from day to day," as we learn from an old newspaper advertisement.
The first dry goods store in Omaha was that of Tootle & Jackson; among the other general stores that followed were those of James Megeath and John R. Porter.
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CHAPTER IX.
THE ARROW.
THE FIRST OMAHA NEWSPAPER-THE PROCESS OF MAKING A WESTERN TOWN-THE FIRST EDITOR-HIS ROMANTIC MAR- RIAGE-HIS SANCTUM-HIS DREAMY PREDICTION.
Among the institutions that aided greatly to give Omaha a more than local notoriety in her infancy. was the Omaha Arrow, the first newspaper published here, the first number of which is dated July 28, 1854, soon after the sur- vey had been completed. It was a four page, six column sheet, the columns being rather wide. The reader is informed in a line immediately under the head. that it was "a family newspaper, devoted to the arts, sciences, general literature, agriculture, and politics ;" its politics being democratic. It took in a wide field certainly, and if these general features are any criterion the Arrow was a paper that circulated among people of social refinement and literary culture even at that early day.
The Arrow was printed at Council Bluffs, at the office of the Bugle, probably with the same type, and hence we find a large number of Council Bluffs items and advertise- ments in it. It was distributed to the few persons in Omaha on the day of its publication. and sent abroad as an adver- tisement of the place. It was dated "Omaha City." which reminds us, in this connection. of a paragraph in Hon. J. M. Woolworth's volume. "Nebraska in 1857." He says : " The process of making a town, and forming a company is very simple. Three, four, or half-a-dozen men form a com- pany, claim a tract of vacant land, whenever they can find it, give the spot some name with 'city' attached to it, as a tail, fill up one, two, three hundred, or any number of cer- tificates of stock, and then enter upon their traffic in them. This forms a fancy stock which is worthy of Wall Street itself. Not that there are not towns gotten up in this way, which will have merit. How true is this of Omaha City, and Bellevue and Nebraska City and many other towns, where lots are of great value. and of towns like Omaha, whose stock is yet in market. We speak of these towns,
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called 'kiting' towns, and which out here, where land is abundant, answer the same purpose as the coal companies of New York."
So it is with nearly all new western towns. In their infancy they fly "their kite," to which is attached the word "city " as a tail : but when they grow to some size and im- portance, when they can speak for themselves, they cut off the tail. Omaha retained her tail even up to 1857, and probably a year or two later.
But let us return from our little digression to the sub- ject in hand. the Arrow. J. E. Johnson and J. W. Pattison were the editors and proprietors. Johnson was the business man of the concern. He was a Mormon and had three or four wives. He lived in Council Bluffs and was engaged in several kinds of business at the same time. He practiced law, ran a blacksmith shop, was an insurance agent, and carried on a general merchandising business, by all of which he was enabled to support his three or four wives and their poor relations. He left this part of the country in 1856 and went to Salt Lake.
Pattison remained in Omaha for some two or three years, and then disappeared from the scene. He was mar- ried to a Miss Henrietta Redner, the marriage being per- formed during a heavy rainstorm under a large tree on the Elkhorn. The Rev. Silas J. Francis tied the knot. Another couple, Frank Fox and Harriet Whittier, were married at the same time and place. This programme was in accordance with the ideas of the romantic Pattison. but the double wedding was not quite so romantic an affair as it might have been had it been all sunshine instead of clouds and soaking rain. The last heard of Pattison was that he was editing a paper somewhere in Missouri.
There were only twelve numbers of the Arrow pub- lished, covering the period from July 28th to November 10th, 1854. This shows that it occasionly skipped a week, probably when the supply of paper ran out, which is not an unusual occurrence in a pioneer printing office. Mr. Byron Reed has in his possession the whole series, with the ex- ception of No. 6. He purchased them some years ago of a gentleman residing in Salt Lake, formerly living in Omaha, paying the price of $30 for them. He has had them bound into a volume, and prizes them very highly as being among his most rare and valuable historical records.
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The first number of the Arrow contains on the first page a portion of the Kansas-Nebraska bill, which is con- cluded in the second issue. Turning to the editorial page we find the motto, "The people-the sovereigns of the soil," at the head of the column.
Pattison. who was the real editor of the Arrow, was a lawyer and general business agent. His card in the Arrow informs us that he was located at Omaha, but the fact is that he then lived at Council Bluffs. We have every rea- son to suppose that his practice did not in the least interfere with his editorial duties, to perform which he evidently had ample time. He was a vivid and entertaining writer, as some of his articles in the Arrow prove.
Pattison was a fanciful writer, as will be seen by his salutatory editorial, as follows:
"Well. strangers, friends, patrons, and the good peo- ple generally, wherever in the wide world your lot may be cast, and in whatever clime this Arrow may reach you, here we are upon Nebraska soil seated upon the stump of an ancient oak, which serves for an editorial chair, and the top of our badly abused beaver for a table, we purpose editing a leader for the Omaha Arrow.
"An elevated table land surrounds us; the majestic Missouri just off on our left goes sweeping its muddy course adown towards the Mexican Gulf, whilst the back- ground of the pleasing picture is filled up with Iowa's loveliest, richest scenery. Away upon our left, spreading far away in the distance lies one of the loveliest sections of Nebraska. Yon rich, rolling, wide-spread and beautiful prairie dotted with timber looks lovely enough just now as heaven's free sun-light touches off in beauty the lights and shades to be literally entitled the Eden land of the world, and inspire us with flights of fancy upon the antiquated beaver, but it won't pay. There sticks our axe in the trunk of an old oak, whose branches have for years been fanned by the breezes that constantly sweep from over the oft-time flower-dotted prairie lea, and from which we pur- pose making a log for our cabin claim."
Pattison's editorial, "A Night in our Sanctum," is a well-written article, and is well worth reproducing in order to show by way of comparison how truly the predictions concerning Omaha in his "dream" have been fulfilled. The article is as follows:
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"A NIGHT IN OUR SANCTUM .- Last night we slept in our sanctum-the starry-decked heaven for a ceiling, and Mother Earth for a flooring. It was a glorious night and we were tired from the day's exertions. Far away on different portions of the prairie glimmered the camp fires of our neighbors, the Pawnees, Omahas, or that noble and too often unappreciated class of our own people known as pioneers or squatters. We gathered around our little camp- fire, talked of times of the past, of the pleasing present, and of the glorious future which the march of civilization would open in the land whereon we sat. The new moon was just sinking behind the distant prairie roll, but slightly dispelling the darkness which crept over our loved and cherished Nebraska land. We thought of distant friends and loved ones who stretched upon beds of downy ease little appreciated the unalloyed pleasure, the heaven- blessed comfort, that dwelt with us in this far-off land. No busy hum of the bustling world served to distract our thoughts. Behind us was spread our buffalo robe in an old Indian trail which was to serve as our bed and bedding .. The cool night wind swept in cooling breezes around us, deep laden with the perfume of a thousand-hued and varied flowers. Far away upon our lea came the occasional howl of the prairie wolves. Talk of comfort; there was more of it in one hour of our sanctum camp life and of camp life generally upon Nebraska soil, than in a whole life of fashionable, pampered world in the settlements, and indi- vidually we would not have exchanged our sanctum for any of those of our brethren of the press who boast of its neatness and beauty of artful adornment.
"The night stole on and we in the most comfortable manner in the world-and editors have a faculty of making themselves comfortable together-crept between art and nature-our blanket and buffalo, to sleep and perchance to dream, 'of battles, sieges, fortunes and perils, the im- minent breech.' To dreamland we went. The busy hum of business from factories and the varied branches of mechanism from Omaha City reached our ears. The in- cessant rattle of innumerable drays over the paved streets, the steady tramp of ten thousand of an animated, enterpris- ing population, the hoarse orders fast issued from the crowd of steamers upon the levee loading with the rich pro-
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ducts of the state of Nebraska and unloading the fruits, species and products of other climes and soils greeted our ears. Far away from toward the setting sun came tele- graphic dispatches of improvements, progress and moral advancement upon the Pacific coast. Cars full freighted with teas, silks, etc., were arriving from thence and pass- ing across the stationary channel of the Missouri river with lightning speed hurrying on to the Atlantic seaboard. The third express train on the Council Bluffs and Galveston R. R. came thundering close by us with a shrill whistle that brought us to our feet knife in hand. We rubbed our eyes, looked into the darkness beyond to see the flying train. They had vanished and the shrill second neigh of our lariated horses gave indication of the danger near. The hum of business, in and around the city, had also vanished and the same rude camp-fires were before us. We slept again and daylight stole upon us refreshed and ready for another day's labor."
Pattison's dreamy predictions have been more than ful- filled in the building and completion of the great trans- continental railroads, the Union and Central Pacific, and a dozen or more other lines; in the paving of the streets, and other public improvements, and in the growth of Omaha to an important and beautiful city and commercial metropolis of over 120,000 inhabitants.
CHAPTER X.
OMAHA'S PROGRESS.
THE NEWSPAPER AS A HISTORIAN-ITEMS FROM THE " AR- ROW "-DEMANDS OF THE INDIANS-SULPHUR SPRINGS- THE "BIG 6"-COUNCIL BLUFFS AND OMAHA STAGE-POST- MASTER JONES AND HIS HAT-DISTINGUISHED ARRIVALS, GOVERNOR BURT AND SECRETARY CUMING-DEATH OF THE FORMER.
It is a fact that the best historian of the events of any particular period in these modern days is the newspaper- it is the most faithful chronicler of daily occurrences-and therefore no apology is needed for frequent reference to the Arrow as authority, nor for the reproduction of items from
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its local columns, showing the progress of the town dur- ing the publication of the paper in the summer of 1854.
Among other interesting items which are found in the first number of the Arrow, July 28, 1854, is the following :
"DELEGATE TO CONGRESS-It is expected that H. D. Johnson and Major Gatewood will be the two opposing candidates for delegate to congress."
The coming man, however, proved to be Napoleon B. Gidding, who was elected in the fall of 1854 as Nebraska's first delegate to congress. He was succeeded in congress by Mr. Chapman, who was elected November 6, 1855.
"The Indians," says the Arrow, "require $10 from each settler for the right to build and make improvements upon the lands for which they have not yet received pay- ment nor relinquished their rights. We consider this a just demand, and for ourselves have complied. The amount should be paid only to Logan Fontenelle (the chief), H. D. Johnson, or ourselves."
The survey of Omaha City, as made by A. D. Jones, is noticed at considerable length. A. D. Jones was a lawyer as well as a surveyor, and we find his "shingle," in the shape of a card, hung out among the advertisements in the Arrow. He was not, however, regularly admitted to the Nebraska bar until there was a bar to be admitted to, which was time afterwards, when he got his certificate on motion of General Estabrook.
In the second number of the Arrow we find the editor "again seated upon the green sward. 'neath the tent of his friend W. Clancy, whose hospitality he is enjoying, with an inverted nail keg for a table, and feeling as comfortable as if seated upon a soft-cushioned sofa, with all the comforts of a fashionable life surrounding him." Pattison, it seems, could easily accommodate himself to circumstances.
Rev. Peter Cooper is announced to preach at the resi- dence of Mr. Snowden on Sunday, the 13th inst., [August] at 2 o'clock, P. M., to which the citizens of Bluff City are re- spectfully invited to attend.
James A. Jackson advertises for " bids to be received until the 15th of August, for furnishing 175 perch of stone for foundation, to be delivered in Omaha, the quarry being about one mile from the place of delivery."
The Arrow of September 1st, 1854, in its "leader" on
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Omaha City, says that it will be and deserves to be the future capital of Nebraska, as a territory and state.
Even at that early day Sulphur Springs had been dis- covered, and was visited by the "old settlers" then as fre- quently as it is now by the citizens of Omaha. and its water was imbibed with an apprecible relish, as we should infer from the Arrow's notice of it.
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